Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-08-25
Pedagogy.


The Bible! Thou hast heard Of such book
life and death,
Eternal life, eternal death. Momentous
themes.
Should the Bible be read in the pub
lie school?
The discussion of this question has
called forth much zeal toward God,
which is not according to knowledge.
Some have foreseen inevitable Atheism
all over the land as the result of ex-
Guiding the bible from the schools and
others regard the union of church and
state as a certain consequence of its
introduction into them.
If those parties knew more about the
bible their fears would vanish. The
one would discover that in it's relations
to individuals, and consequently to So
ciety the bible ia out of its place in the
common school, and the other would
See that the world has never seen an
other national organization in which
church and state were as definitely
separated as they were by the legisla-
ton given at Mount Horab.
Through all the vain janglings on
this subject it requires q long steady
look to see the truth and the right.
To going into this discussion we do
strenuously maintain that pure and
undefiled religion before God even the
Father is indispensable to the continu-
ance of our existence as q nation of
freeman. We do strenuously maintain
that without faith it is impossible to
please God, and that faith cometa by
hearing and hearing by the word of
God. We do strenuously maintain that
the bible is not only the standard of
pure religion and indebted before God,
but under God the means of its pro-
duction.
We do strenuously maintain that.it is
as impossible to secure thorough lit
erary cultivation without the support
of a religious factor as it is for the hui
man subject to continue to live when
the connection between the heart and
the brain is destroyed. And yet we do,
II possible, more strenuously deny the
right to introduce the bible into the
common school. The time has been
when he who uttered the last mention
ed sentiment would have incurred os-
tracism by the churchianity of the
world. But in this country, at least,
the spirit of the age is spirit of pro-
found inquiry into the found cations of
beliefs.
The AK is laid to the root of the trees
and every tree therefore which bring
eth not forth good fruit is hewn down
and cast into fire. And intense Radi-
calism not only hews down, but roots
up every plant which our Heavenly
Father hath not planted.
In grubbing up the idea of introduce
ing the bible into the common schools,
il will he necessary to attack the max
i'm that whatever we wish to have in
the state we must put into the common
school.
Fully stated. the syllogism is this:
Religion is a necessity to the existence
of the state. Whatever we need In the
state must be introduced into the com.
mon schools. TIE bible under God
produces religion. Therefore, the bible
should be introduced into the common
schools.
There is more than one worm at the
root of that gourd; more than one dead
fly In that box of ointment.
The difficulty in the case is that the
syllogism is practically false in every
particular. Even what truth it con-
tains by being placed in wrong connee-
lions becomes practically falsehood. |